


Ode to Narcissus

by StarryGatorr



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Fear of Death, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryGatorr/pseuds/StarryGatorr
Summary: The ninja revisit the Explorer's Club to pay for the property damage. While they're there, they decide to look into the pieced-back-together mirror that shows your fears.Cole wishes he hadn't looked.
Comments: 13
Kudos: 33





	Ode to Narcissus

**Author's Note:**

> $19 dollar fortnite card. who wants it? *punches readers with angst* NOOO MOOORE FORTNITE!

“Geez,” Lloyd huffs, “You’d think they’d be a little more grateful that we saved Ninjago.”

“Forget it. These people live in their own world,” Kai assures him.

Lloyd chuckles, “That or the dementia is kicking in.”

Kai bursts out into laughter and Jay joins him. Zane and Nya stand off to the side speaking with the head of Explorer’s Club as the last of the payments are received. Cole watches with his arms folded, wishing they could just get out of here already. Apologizing to a bunch of stuffy old men for breaking and entering isn’t what he’d call a fun time. Eventually the two return with news.

“I’m kind of shocked, but they managed to glue all of the pieces to the spooky mirror back together,” Nya explains.

“Really? Wow.”

“Hey, hold on,” Jay interjects, “What spooky mirror?”

“It’s a mirror that shows you your worst fears.”

“Wait, really? Now that I have to see.”

“Hold on,” Cole starts, “I don’t-”

“Yeah! Lead the way, Sis.”

Despite his half-hearted protests, the group moves from the foyer room to one of the many rooms displaying artifacts. Sure enough, the shattered mirror was there, a few chinks missing in some spots but overall whole.

What happened next was predictable; one by one, they stood in front of the mirror, curious to see what would appear. Nya’s, Zane’s, and Lloyd’s were all the same from last time. Lloyd received a pitying look or two for his, but he assured the others that it didn’t bother him now. Kai shrieked when the mirror showed a tidal wave approaching him from behind, to which the others laughed. Jay took his turn and the mirror showed him with an eyepatch and pirate garb. For a moment, Nya looked pale, but Jay quickly laughed it off and launched into a ramble.

Cole wanted to ask him about it, but now it was his turn. The others clearly expected him to and, admittedly, he sort of wanted to see it. Would it be a dragon? A ghost? Or maybe something wacky like a giant monster cake.

“Go on, check it out!” Jay urges him.

“Alright, alright, cool your jets.”

He took a deep breath and stepped in front of the mirror.

His eyes flicker between various spots on the glass, which had now turned a glossy light blue. Cole waits for what’s to come. He guesses maybe it’ll be like a jumpscare and something will pop out from the sides or the bottom or the top. He waits for it. After a minute he thinks he saw something move, but it turns out just to be a shadow. He waits more.

Nothing comes.

“Uhhh... is it broken?”

“Technically, yes, but it worked just fine for the rest of us,” Zane comments.

“Wow, Cole,” Kai grins, “You were right! You really are afraid of nothing.”

Cole laughs.

“I told you so.”

But that night when they’ve returned to the monastery, when everybody is tucked up in bed, Cole’s awake, he’s laying with his eyes open on his back and he’s still waiting for something to appear; he’s still waiting for the reflection to creep into his room and scare the living daylights out of him just so he can joke about it later with the others and put it behind him; he wants to put it behind him already, he wants this to be over with, the suspense is killing him.

Nothing comes.

He squeezes his eyes shut and balls his fist into the covers. The soft texture of his blanket grounds him, but it also scares him, it scares him to think that in an instant he’ll lose that sense of realness.

Deep in his heart, he knows the mirror wasn’t broken. It showed him exactly what he feared. It reminded him of one other time he couldn’t find his reflection.

Destiny says he will cease to exist, and he is terrified.


End file.
